Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
CITY AND DISTRICT.
DISTRICT MILITIA MATrEBS.
Lieut. Einiey's Lecture ON the Ars Of
SignaIinR.

GRATIFYING FRO6RE.S OF THs DIFFEREST 0RH ANrzA-
TIOSs-CKITIcI,ss WELL ISTESDED-sErTISs Ur
ExEEcIsFs, Drills AND ISsPEcrrONs-NoTEs or
INTEREST From THg NATIONAL GUARD ARMoRrEs
"The art OF signaling and Its relation to the
necessities % peace and war was the subject OF a
lecture delivered by Lieut.. Finley, OF the signal
corps before the school OF the Officer last wednes-
day night, at the Washington Light Infantry
Armnry. The lecture was supplemented by the
exhibition and explanation OF the "double-nash"
Telegraph system OF signaling, which he has In
vented 10 replace the sngle-hash instrument now
IN use By the United States Army. There were
many o-1cers OF the District militia present,
among whom were noticed Col W. q. Moore and
Captains Clay, Gale, Townsend, and Dalton. At
the beginning OF his lecture Lieut. Finley devoted
considerable time 70 tracing the historical deve-
opment OF the art OF signaling from a period
500 h. C, when history relates that Agamemnon
communicates over mountains and valleys
that the Tower % Babel was a form OF visual sig-
nal, destined 20 serve as mark or rallying point
for the surrounding people: About zoo b G. a very
which consisted OF a torch With an apparatus for
measuring the time intervals OF the given signals
and thus gave In the earliest ages. the hrst ind-
cation OF chrOnosemlc signals which to-day are so
well known 70 the Army and the Navy. The nrst
Troops a. .ignai corps ws during the Greek and
Roman wars They were designated by Greek
word which siEnines nre.bearers or nre-
other form OF portable light There are still in
existence In certain parts OF Europe, espe
sony Witch aef sSsss BY sSs Romans
as permanent signal telegraph stations
The Carthagenians employed visual signals In
maintaini communication with Sicily, and the
Gauls were also possessed Of the means for simple
and rapid communication by optical signals
Among the Asiatic tribes Of antiquity this means
OF correspondence was not unknown, and there
are to-day signal towers upon the great chinese
wall which serve as points Of observation against
a complete chain OF signal stations.
GUN SIGNALS.
During the seventeenth century there were ocoa-
siOns where commanding Officers attempted TO es-
tablish communication by q combination OF artil-
lsry firing and volleys OF musketry between the
different corps OF their armies and troops In be-
sieged places. In scotland and among Isolated
people living In the mountains OF Northern Europe
optical signals were In use from the NTH TO the -
teeuth centuries swift and trusty mess myers,
who ran at rIll speed from hamlet to hamlet, car
rying peculiar symbols which were designed TO
convey summons 70 the people upon any sudden or
important emergency, was method OF signaling
employed oy the scottish chiefs and ancient Scan
dinayianS The abOrigines Of North America were
accustomed TO employ language signals, that by
great dIstshces. The Indians especially the
western tribes, have long en- familiar
with the use OF fire signals and torches
distant point Is II Is not unlikely, Lieut.. Finley
said, that an important cause for the decline OF
limited ranse OF the human eye controlled largely
by the optical conditions OF the atmosphere In
S Ias for Sah OF The tsescope -" With the invep
ion OF this remarkable instrument about 1890
or l6Os. the Increased usefulness OF the optical
telegraph became apparent and It's revival b gan.
The first employment OF visual signals by Euro
pean armies after the close OF the Middle Ages
Sohn sonles,y I marched 70 the rescue and opened
communication with the besieged town over the
heads OF the Turks. In 1875 ProI Bergstrasser
constructed and operated at Hanan, Germany, q
NEW OPTICAL TELEGRAPH
(semaphore by day and lights at night for both
military and commercial purposes Napoleon I
derived great advantage from the employment OF
these semaphorc means OF communication, and
IRON PARIS In the United states the employment
OF semaphOres for military purposes has received
very little attention, yet this mode OF signaling Is
well known 10 every railway system In the coun-
Try. Referring TO the establishment OF the FIRST
electric telegraph line two wIresl by Gauss and
Weber In 1SSS, at GOttingen, lieut.. Finley said
that "a might De expected the advantage OF the
electric telegraph early forced its recognition
an impo tsnt adjunct in military operations
warfare. and it cannot be superseded for It's par
ticular purpose But all nations and all
scientinc, military or naval, have recog-
nfed In. all ages the need OF some
ao Sn wire or ana
eating media Up 20 this time sun-1sshing instru-
ments had not been employed Ia optical telegraph
American Indians had long used as signals SUM-
flashes made with hand mirrors during inter-Jrtbal
wars and conflicts with the whites confined TO the
use OF the electric ph there Is et very large
margin OF indispensable telegraphic work, which
only the optical telegraph can accomplish. The
electric telegraph - cumbrous, IL requires fixed
apparatus IL works only In single lines, and the
entire app tratus can never be placed under the
cupy distant stations at either end OF the line In
military operations there are many occasions de-
handing the means OF communication between
different points where the employment OF a te.e-
graph line would be impossible, not TO say Iaprac-
Iicable.
LoSG-KaNaE SIGNALING.
There Is required n system by which any hilltop
can be at once extemporized into a telegraph sta
ton, by which marching columns widely separated
can quickly open communication, and quickly
suspend work and resume the march; by which
parties on opposite sides OF a river separated by
nile OF water or ten or twenty miles OF road can
engage 10 intelligent correspondence The army
In It's maneuvers requires a connecting element
that VIII insure Immediate unity in ali the ranks.
aud thus secuIe concerted action when exigencies
most demand It.
The NAVY AND MERCHANT MARINE
demand methods OF communication which will
provide IN tie simplest and most effective manner
Tor CELEBRITY. certainty and safety in all movements
on the water.
II wing IN mind that three-fourths OF the worlds
saritce Is water, and that this great expanse Is
cult To realize that there Is a pressing necessity
for Telegraph system that employs neither poles,
wire, or cao.es; a system simple, effective, and
wei adapted 20 either night or day work, on land
or over the sea Approaching directly the
uses OF signals Lieut. Finley said IL is any
thing employed 70 excite attention and
convey Intelligence, that anything which gives
which it, appearance calls forth m " be consid-
cred a visual signal Primarily. signals are OF
two kindS-transient and perm nenL In the
former, signals by motions, sounds &C. In the
latter, oy hosting OF nags acryptogram or cypher
dispatch. symbol retained IN a fixed position, &C
Considered as 70 tue means OF formation and ex.
hioiIlon. signals may Be classified as optical aur-
cular and electrical Tue nrst comprising torches
rockets, nags tmOdned by color and forml, Lam
terms. srmaPhores, heliotropes, heliographs, can
die-oonos, puns and flashes. The second the
ringing q bell, the tapping OF q drum, the fog
horn, the steam whistle, the notes Oh
q busie, the nr1ng OF gun, &c. In
the third. those which In their pro-
ducton involve the use Of a speciil apparatus
meatS AL apparatus employed 10 transmitting
visual signals may be divided into long-range and
shoft-range Instruments The former comprtsIpg
the Photograph, heiotrope, the electric light the
magnesium light, the calcium or oxy-hydrogen
light and candle bombs thrown from Specially
constructed mortars. This class has . range
power OF from % 70 100 miles and Is employed Tor
ity u all forms OF signaling apparatus are re-
stricted 70 short-range work The requirements
~ signal Instrument for military purposes de-
mand certainty OF successful operations under
ordinary conditions OF weather. night or day, and
such simplicity as will secure Completeness Of
equipment and the best quality OF Construction.
Long-tAnge signaling VIII answer the requirements
VI the soldier. The surveyor, with mis- heiiorrope
and CALCIUM II ut IN the performance OF peaceful
dr.ieS, can quietly delay for favorable opporluni-
TEA But the soldier, pressed by the emergencies